Mark Leron Franklin, 36, apologized to the victim on Facebook, saying he is not the same man she knew as a child, investigators said. Franklin was placed in the Marion County Jail without bond where he faces sexually battery charges from two jurisdictions, involving two victims.

Franklin has been charged by the Ocala Police Department with sexual battery on a child less than 12 years of age, and the Marion County Sheriff's Office has charged him with sexual battery.

The Ocala police said the victim, now in her teens, recently remembered an incident from around 10 years ago when she was 4 or 5 years old in which Franklin forced her to perform a sex act. Authorities said Franklin recently moved back to town and the victim was afraid of what he might do.

"She asked him to promise he would never make her do it again, said Sgt. Angy Scroble of the Ocala police.

The victim messaged Franklin on Facebook asking for that promise, police said, and the answer was telling.

Franklin did not deny the girl's allegation in his response, police said. He "prayed for her forgiveness" and told her that he was "no longer a monster," adding he was a "better person than he used to be," police said he wrote.

The case inspired a victim in Marion County to come forward as well. The victim told deputies that Franklin started molesting her in the early '90s when she was 2 or 3 years old, and that it continued until she was in the seventh grade.

"She came forward and gave us the details we needed to move this case forward and make the arrest," said Judge Cochran with the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

DECADES AFTER ALLEGED WHILE ABUSE A FACEBOOK CHAT CONVERSATION LEADS TO AN ARREST. 36-YEAR-OLD MARK FRANKLIN APOLOGIZED TO THE VICTIM SAYING HE IS NOT THE SAME MAN SHE KNEW AS A VERY YOUNG CHILD. MICHELLE MEREDITH LIVE AT THE MARION COUNTY JAIL. WHAT PROMPTED THE VICTIM TO CONTACT FRANKLIN THROUGH FACEBOOK? THE VICTIM LEARNED FRANKLIN RECENTLY MOVED BACK TO THE OCALA AREA AND SHE WAS CONCERNED. TURNS OUT, SHE WAS NOT ALONE. MARK FRANKLIN IS IN THE MARION COUNTY JAIL FACING CHARGES FROM TWO DIFFERENT VICTIMS AND AGENCIES. HE IS FACING CHARGES OF SEXUAL BATTERY ON A CHILD LESS THAN 12 YEARS OF AGE FROM THE OCALA POLICE DEPARTMENT. AS WELL AS CHARGES OF SEXUAL BATTERY FROM THE MARION COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. YOU COULD SAY IT HAPPENED THROUGH THE POWER OF FACEBOOK. ACCORDING TO OCALA POLICE, THEIR VICTIM, NOW IN HER TEENS, RECENTLY REMEMBERED AN INCIDENT AROUND TEN YEARS AGO WHEN SHE WAS 4 OR 5 YEARS OLD WHERE FRANKLIN MADE HER PERFORM A SEX ACT ON HIM. THERE WAS A NEW URGENCY TO THE VICTIM'S SITUATION BECAUSE FRANKLIN RECENTLY MOVED BACK IN TOWN. THE VICTIM WAS AFRAID OF WHAT HE MIGHT DO. SHE ASKED HIM TO PROMISE HE WOULD NEVER MAKE HER DO IT AGAIN. SO ACCORDING TO POLICE, THE VICTIM MESSAGED FRANKLIN ON FACEBOOK ASKING FOR THAT PROMISE. HIS RESPONSE VERY TELLING. POLICE SAY HE DID NOT DENY THE GIRL'S ALLEGATION, PRAYED FOR FORGIVENESS, TOLD HER HE WAS NO LONGER A MONSTER AND SAID HE WAS A BETTER PERSON THAN HE USE TO BE. IT'S WHAT POLICE NEEDED. IT HELPED DEVELOP PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE ARREST. IT HELPED MAKE THE CASE. THAT CASE INSPIRED A SECOND VICTIM TO COME FORWARD IN MARION COUNTY. THAT VICTIM TOLD DEPUTIES FRANKLIN STARTED MOLESTING HER WHEN SHE WAS 2 OR 3 IN THE EARLY 90S AND THAT IT CONTINUED UNTIL SHE WAS IN THE SEVENTH GRADE. THE VICTIM IN THIS CASE WAS BASICALLY WORRIED THAT MR. FRANKLIN WHO HAS CHILDREN OF HIS OWN, SHE SAID, THAT HE MIGHT VIOLATE THOSE CHILDREN IN ANY OTHER CHILD IN MARION COUNTY. SO SHE CAME FORWARD, HAD A DISCUSSION WITH OUR DETECTIVES, GAVE US DETAILS THAT WE NEEDED TO MOVE THIS CASE FORWARD AND MAKE THE ARREST.